§15.609σμερδαλέον κροτάφοισι τινάσσετο μαρναμένοιο §15.610Ἕκτορος· αὐτὸς γάρ οἱ ἀπʼ αἰθέρος ἦεν ἀμύντωρ §15.611Ζεύς, ὅς μιν πλεόνεσσι μετʼ ἀνδράσι μοῦνον ἐόντα §15.612τίμα καὶ κύδαινε.
shook terrifyingly about the temples of fighting Hector; for Zeus himself was his helper from the upper air, Zeus, who, though Hector was but one among many men, honored and glorified him.
μινυνθάδιος γὰρ ἔμελλεν §15.613ἔσσεσθʼ· ἤδη γάρ οἱ ἐπόρνυε μόρσιμον ἦμαρ §15.614Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη ὑπὸ Πηλεΐδαο βίηφιν.
For he was destined to be short-lived; for already Pallas Athena was driving on his day of doom under the might of the son of Peleus.
§15.615καί ῥʼ ἔθελεν ῥῆξαι στίχας ἀνδρῶν πειρητίζων, §15.616ᾗ δὴ πλεῖστον ὅμιλον ὅρα καὶ τεύχεʼ ἄριστα· §15.617ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς δύνατο ῥῆξαι μάλα περ μενεαίνων· §15.618ἴσχον γὰρ πυργηδὸν ἀρηρότες, ἠΰτε πέτρη §15.619ἠλίβατος μεγάλη πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐγγὺς ἐοῦσα, §15.620ἥ τε μένει λιγέων ἀνέμων λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα §15.621κύματά τε τροφόεντα, τά τε προσερεύγεται αὐτήν· §15.622ὣς Δαναοὶ Τρῶας μένον ἔμπεδον οὐδὲ φέβοντο.
And he was eager to break the ranks of men, making trial of them wherever he saw the thickest throng and the finest armor; but not even so could he break them, though he was very eager; for they held firm, close-knit like a wall, like a sheer, great cliff near the grey sea, which abides the swift paths of the shrill winds and the swelling waves that spew against it; even so the Danaans awaited the Trojans steadfastly, and fled not.
§15.623αὐτὰρ ὃ λαμπόμενος πυρὶ πάντοθεν ἔνθορʼ ὁμίλῳ, §15.624ἐν δʼ ἔπεσʼ ὡς ὅτε κῦμα θοῇ ἐν νηῒ πέσῃσι §15.625λάβρον ὑπαὶ νεφέων ἀνεμοτρεφές· ἣ δέ τε πᾶσα §15.626ἄχνῃ ὑπεκρύφθη, ἀνέμοιο δὲ δεινὸς ἀήτη §15.627ἱστίῳ ἐμβρέμεται, τρομέουσι δέ τε φρένα ναῦται §15.628δειδιότες· τυτθὸν γὰρ ὑπʼ ἐκ θανάτοιο φέρονται· §15.629ὣς ἐδαΐζετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
But he, gleaming with fire on every side, leaped into the throng, and fell upon them as when a wave falls upon a swift ship, violent, from beneath the clouds, wind-nurtured; and the whole ship is hidden in foam, and the dread blast of the wind roars against the sail, and the sailors tremble in their hearts in fear; for by only a little are they carried out from death; even so was the heart rent in the breasts of the Achaeans.
§15.630αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ὥς τε λέων ὀλοόφρων βουσὶν ἐπελθών, §15.631αἵ ῥά τʼ ἐν εἱαμενῇ ἕλεος μεγάλοιο νέμονται §15.632μυρίαι, ἐν δέ τε τῇσι νομεὺς οὔ πω σάφα εἰδὼς §15.633θηρὶ μαχέσσασθαι ἕλικος βοὸς ἀμφὶ φονῇσιν· §15.634ἤτοι ὃ μὲν πρώτῃσι καὶ ὑστατίῃσι βόεσσιν §15.635αἰὲν ὁμοστιχάει, ὃ δέ τʼ ἐν μέσσῃσιν ὀρούσας §15.636βοῦν ἔδει, αἳ δέ τε πᾶσαι ὑπέτρεσαν· ὣς τότʼ Ἀχαιοὶ §15.637θεσπεσίως ἐφόβηθεν ὑφʼ Ἕκτορι καὶ Διὶ πατρὶ §15.638πάντες, ὃ δʼ οἶον ἔπεφνε Μυκηναῖον Περιφήτην, §15.639Κοπρῆος φίλον υἱόν, ὃς Εὐρυσθῆος ἄνακτος §15.640ἀγγελίης οἴχνεσκε βίῃ Ἡρακληείῃ.
But he, like a destructive lion coming upon cattle, which are grazing in the wet meadow-land of a great marsh, by thousands, and among them is a herdsman who does not yet know well how to fight with a wild beast for the carcass of a curved-horned ox; he indeed ever paces along with the foremost or the hindmost cattle, but the beast, leaping into the midst, devours an ox, and all the rest flee in terror; even so then the Achaeans were wondrously put to flight by Hector and father Zeus, all of them, yet Hector slew only Periphetes of Mycenae, the dear son of Copreus, who used to go on messages for lord Eurystheus to the mighty Heracles.
§15.641τοῦ γένετʼ ἐκ πατρὸς πολὺ χείρονος υἱὸς ἀμείνων §15.642παντοίας ἀρετάς, ἠμὲν πόδας ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι, §15.643καὶ νόον ἐν πρώτοισι Μυκηναίων ἐτέτυκτο· §15.644ὅς ῥα τόθʼ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὑπέρτερον ἐγγυάλιξε.
From that far inferior father was born a son far better in all kinds of excellence, both in fleetness of foot and in fight, and in mind he was among the first of the Mycenaeans; he it was who then yielded exceeding glory to Hector.
§15.645στρεφθεὶς γὰρ μετόπισθεν ἐν ἀσπίδος ἄντυγι πάλτο, §15.646τὴν αὐτὸς φορέεσκε ποδηνεκέʼ ἕρκος ἀκόντων· §15.647τῇ ὅ γʼ ἐνὶ βλαφθεὶς πέσεν ὕπτιος, ἀμφὶ δὲ πήληξ §15.648σμερδαλέον κονάβησε περὶ κροτάφοισι πεσόντος.
For as he turned backward, he tripped against the rim of his shield, which he himself carried, reaching to his feet, a defense against javelins; tripping on this, he fell backward, and about his temples his helmet rang terrifyingly as he fell.
§15.649Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὀξὺ νόησε, θέων δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρέστη, §15.650στήθεϊ δʼ ἐν δόρυ πῆξε, φίλων δέ μιν ἐγγὺς ἑταίρων §15.651κτεῖνʼ· οἳ δʼ οὐκ ἐδύναντο καὶ ἀχνύμενοί περ ἑταίρου §15.652χραισμεῖν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ μάλα δείδισαν Ἕκτορα δῖον.
And Hector quickly perceived it, and ran and stood near him, and fixed his spear in his breast, and slew him near his dear comrades; and they, though grieving for their comrade, could not help him; for they themselves were in great dread of noble Hector.
§15.653εἰσωποὶ δʼ ἐγένοντο νεῶν, περὶ δʼ ἔσχεθον ἄκραι §15.654νῆες ὅσαι πρῶται εἰρύατο· τοὶ δʼ ἐπέχυντο.
And they came in face of the ships, and the outermost ships enclosed them, as many as were drawn up in the first line; and the Trojans poured in after them.
§15.655Ἀργεῖοι δὲ νεῶν μὲν ἐχώρησαν καὶ ἀνάγκῃ §15.656τῶν πρωτέων, αὐτοῦ δὲ παρὰ κλισίῃσιν ἔμειναν §15.657ἁθρόοι, οὐδὲ κέδασθεν ἀνὰ στρατόν· ἴσχε γὰρ αἰδὼς §15.658καὶ δέος· ἀζηχὲς γὰρ ὁμόκλεον ἀλλήλοισι.
And the Argives retreated from the first ships, of necessity, but stayed there beside their huts, crowded together, and were not scattered through the camp; for shame held them and fear, and they called continually to one another.
§15.659Νέστωρ αὖτε μάλιστα Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν §15.660λίσσεθʼ ὑπὲρ τοκέων γουνούμενος ἄνδρα ἕκαστον· §15.661ὦ φίλοι ἀνέρες ἔστε καὶ αἰδῶ θέσθʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ §15.662ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων, ἐπὶ δὲ μνήσασθε ἕκαστος §15.663παίδων ἠδʼ ἀλόχων καὶ κτήσιος ἠδὲ τοκήων, §15.664ἠμὲν ὅτεῳ ζώουσι καὶ ᾧ κατατεθνήκασι· §15.665τῶν ὕπερ ἐνθάδʼ ἐγὼ γουνάζομαι οὐ παρεόντων §15.666ἑστάμεναι κρατερῶς, μὴ δὲ τρωπᾶσθε φόβον δέ. §15.667ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
And Gerenian Nestor above all, the guardian of the Achaeans, implored them, adjuring each man by his parents: "O friends, be men, and lay shame in your hearts before other men, and remember, each one of you, your children and wives, your possessions and parents, whether they are living or are dead; on their behalf do I here beseech you, though they are not here, to stand firm, and turn not back to flight." So saying, he stirred the might and heart of each man.
§15.668τοῖσι δʼ ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν νέφος ἀχλύος ὦσεν Ἀθήνη §15.669θεσπέσιον· μάλα δέ σφι φόως γένετʼ ἀμφοτέρωθεν §15.670ἠμὲν πρὸς νηῶν καὶ ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο.
And from their eyes Athena pushed away the wondrous cloud of mist; and they had abundant light from both sides, both from the side of the ships and from that of evil war.
§15.671Ἕκτορα δὲ φράσσαντο βοὴν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἑταίρους, §15.672ἠμὲν ὅσοι μετόπισθεν ἀφέστασαν οὐδὲ μάχοντο, §15.673ἠδʼ ὅσσοι παρὰ νηυσὶ μάχην ἐμάχοντο θοῇσιν.
And they recognized Hector, good at the war-cry, and his comrades, both those who stood behind and fought not, and those who fought the battle beside the swift ships.
§15.674οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ Αἴαντι μεγαλήτορι ἥνδανε θυμῷ §15.675ἑστάμεν ἔνθά περ ἄλλοι ἀφέστασαν υἷες Ἀχαιῶν· §15.676ἀλλʼ ὅ γε νηῶν ἴκριʼ ἐπῴχετο μακρὰ βιβάσθων,
Nor did it longer please the heart of great-hearted Ajax to stand where the other sons of the Achaeans stood aloof; but he went along the decks of the ships with long strides,